1. Field
Embodiments relate to a rechargeable battery provided with electrode terminals formed of different materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rechargeable battery differs from a primary battery in that it can be repeatedly charged and discharged, while the latter is incapable of being recharged. A low-capacity rechargeable battery is used in small portable electronic devices, e.g., mobile phones, notebook computers, and camcorders, while a high-capacity rechargeable battery is widely used as a power source for driving a motor, e.g., of a hybrid vehicle.
Typical rechargeable batteries may include, e.g., a nickel-cadmium (Ni—Cd) battery, a nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery, a lithium (Li) battery, a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery, etc. For example, the lithium ion rechargeable battery has an operating voltage about thrice as high as that of the Ni—Cd battery or Ni-MH battery that is widely used as a power supply for electronic devices. In addition, the lithium ion rechargeable battery has been widely used because its energy density per unit weight is high. In the rechargeable battery, a lithium-based oxide has been used as a positive active material, and a carbon material has been used as a negative active material.
Generally, batteries are classified into a liquid electrolyte battery and a polymer electrolyte battery depending on the type of electrolyte, and lithium batteries using a liquid electrolyte are called lithium ion batteries while batteries using a polymer electrolyte are called lithium polymer batteries. In such rechargeable batteries, terminals formed of a copper material protrude out of a case.